100% Whole Wheat and Honey Bread

It is the fag end of autumn here. Trees and bushes are laden with flowers. Air is nippy and nights are cold. It feels nice and light to have a few slices of bread and hot soup for dinner.

A glimpse of Autumn in garden

 We decided on baking a whole wheat bread with honey. Honey gives mild sweetness and a great flavour that is subtle . The bread requires a good amount of kneading. One can use a bread machine, but, I  knead the dough with my hands, an activity I find very relaxing. After a rigorous kneading session, I realized that the dough was a little hard (perhaps due to honey). I added some more water and kneaded again. It took about 10 minutes for the dough to reach the desired softness and elasticity.

The bread needs only one rise. It has a lovely flavour of honey and hence, the name 100% Whole Wheat and Honey Bread.

It requires a lot of muscle power to knead the dough but is worth giving a try. 

The slices are soft and mildly sweet. Enjoy with a generous lashing of butter and honey or with peanut butter. 

100% Whole Wheat (Atta)  and Honey Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 ¼ teaspoon instant dry yeast
• ½ cup of warm water
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tablespoon  oil (any neutral oil will do)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Add instant yeast to warm water, and cover for 15 minutes.
2. Whisk whole-wheat flour and salt. Add oil, and mix well.
3. Add honey and milk to the water-yeast mixture.
4. Knead the dough with the above ingredients. While kneading the dough, add liquids gradually kneading well after addition. The dough will feel very hard initially, keep kneading for 10 minutes till it becomes smooth and supple. (You might require some more water than the quantity specified)
5. Grease one 8  x 4    inches loaf tin.
6. Roll the dough into a rectangle no wider than the loaf tin you are using.
7. Roll the dough towards you, tightly. Pinch seams to seal. Place the roll in the greased loaf tin with the seam side down. Cover and keep it for 1 hour or till the loaf becomes double its size.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 190 degrees for 25-30 minutes or till the bread becomes brown and the bottom of the tin sounds hollow when tapped.
9. Cover with a foil if the top is browning too fast.
10. Remove from the oven and remove from the tin after 10 minutes.
11. Cool and slice it the next day.

Notes:

Use flour with a fine grind. I used Aashirwad Select

Add liquids gradually. you may have to add a tablespoon or two of extra warm water.

Knead well. Knead for about 7 to 8 minutes. Rest, and knead again for 3 to 4 minutes.